1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to herbicides and more particularly to substituted N-(trimethylcycloalkenyl)-N-alkylacetamides. The invention also relates to phytotoxic compositions containing such herbicides and to methods using the herbicides in the prevention of weeds by treating crops.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A great variety of organic and inorganic compounds have been found to be useful as herbicides. Certain N-substituted acetamides have been found to have herbicidal properties, and some have been used commercially. Such herbicidal substituted acetamides are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,864,683, U.S. Pat. No. 3,707,366, German Offenlegungsschrift No. 25 26 868, and German Offenlegungsschrift No. 20 45 380. Certain N-alkenylacetamides and N-cycloalkenylacetamides are also known compounds, and their usefulness as both pre-emergent and post-emergent herbicides has been described. However, because of the great variety of useful plants and of weeds, and because of certain deficiencies of the known herbicides, research is continuing for the purpose of discovering more useful herbicidal compounds. Effectiveness against a wide variety of weeds (broad-spectrum activity), high potency, and ability to kill weeds without harming useful crops (selectivity) are properties which are desirable in an herbicide. However, known herbicides do not possess these properties to the extent which is desirable. Hence a need has continued to exist for herbicidal compounds having an improved combination of broad-spectrum activity, high potency, and selectivity.